When should I use one method or the other? Or does it matter? Or is one method always better? I like how the garlic press maximizes the distribution and surface area of the garlic, but those thin slivers also burn super-fast.

I usually prefer to press for even distribution and maximization of garlic flavor. Start with very low heat and stir constantly to avoid burning.

_________________"That is some very responsible yolo-ing." - allularpunk"We are simple people, my husband is a mechanic with dirty hands, my daughter is a blue haired lesbian who's favorite activity is making people uncomfortable." - torque

If you like garlic, I don't think it matters. I've used my garlic press exactly once and then just went back to minced because I didn't like cleaning it. I've never noticed garlic bits to be a problem in anything ever. Ever. For a more garlicky taste, add more garlic.

If I'm going to put the garlic in something that is going to be well-cooked I don't think it matters how the garlic is prepared. I consider garlic well-cooked if it's sautéed or put directly in something boiling and cooked for a little while.

But, if the garlic is going in something where the garlic might not get completely cooked, like a chickpea cutlet, or is used raw, like in salad dressing, then I prefer not to mince it by hand and I use a microplane or garlic press since you get uniform tiny bits. I don't want detectable pieces of raw garlic in my food.

Of course, if you're a careful garlic mincer, I'm sure you can get the bits of garlic tiny enough to be undetectable, but I'm too impatient to mince garlic that finely.

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I know I'm a huge weirdo but I actually think mincing garlic is fun! That said, I still use a press if I need to mince more than 3 cloves. I've never really noticed a difference in flavor between mincing or pressing, but the biggest problem I have with the press is that it's such a PITA to clean. So basically the question I ask myself is: Which will take longer - mincing the garlic or washing out the garlic press later on?

I also felt like I wasted a lot with a press even though I really liked how it came out. Then my roommate broke it so I'm press-less. Now I just buy the pre-minced stuff in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It's the equivalent of a few heads of garlic for about $2 and stays good a really long time (esp if you freeze it).

I usually mince garlic for dishes where not-quite-uniform bits of garlic won't be a problem (i.e. most dishes), but if I'm making something like salad dressing or garlic bread, I'll just microplane it.

Honestly, I used to feel like that, until I moved to a place where you can't find a bulb in a thirty mile radius that wasn't shriveled and moldy. Now it's huge forking jar of pre-minced garlic all the way.

_________________"All PPK gamers should put on their badge of shame right now. You will never leave the no-sex thread." - Vantine"I'm so glad my prison of principles has wifi." - Abelskiver

Yeah the kind I buy comes in a little plastic tupperware from the deli section. There aren't any preservatives. For some reason the minced stuff doesn't mold very fast but the peeled whole cloves they also sell go bad in about a week.